Can you imagine how difficult it must be to stay silent when the world is accusing you of a lack of innovation, a lack of ability to create new products, etc, when you know what your company is working on.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Said to Be Developing Smart Home Products for HomeKit Integration
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
As far as hardware, Apple sells network appliance/lifestyle products like the Airport express (network + music/airplay). I could see them selling a little device like the older APEs that plug into a wall outlet, and then control a couple of onboard AC outlets, and also provide a controller access point/extender for other automation products.
Outside of that, Im with the folks that cant see them selling products that arent plug and play like a thermostat, or controllers designed to be installed into a wall, etc.
Pretty cool stuff though. Ive been consider the Hue system (which is also targets HomeKit).
Outside of that, Im with the folks that cant see them selling products that arent plug and play like a thermostat, or controllers designed to be installed into a wall, etc.
Pretty cool stuff though. Ive been consider the Hue system (which is also targets HomeKit).
Nest would be a bad fit anyway wouldn't it? If you have a central control unit (iPhone, Apple TV, whatever) then it doesn't make sense to integrate the sensor (thermometer in this case) with the controller (whatever switches the boiler on and off). Both can now be independent devices that connect to the home automation system.
Mary Jo Foley (from ZDNet) had a stat about Microsoft that they have 16 businesses which generate at least $1B in revenue. If you look at Apple's last quarterly earnings data, iPhone makes up 57% of Apple revenue. I think that number is way too high and Apple is right to look at ways of diversifying their revenue streams. Since they're giving software away you either do it with new hardware or new services (like a mobile payments system).
I can't see Apple making actual equipment other than a wall-mounted controller, integration with Apple TV, iPhone/iPad, etc for Home Automation.
Maybe at best they'll make wall-plugs like Belkin has - but to get into thermostats, smoke detectors, etc is beyond what Apple can manage strategically.
Maybe at best they'll make wall-plugs like Belkin has - but to get into thermostats, smoke detectors, etc is beyond what Apple can manage strategically.
We don't need more home automation devices using another proprietary form of communication -- which is likely what Apple would be doing. I wish Apple would just sell a little Apple TV-sized box I could put on my network that would be compatible with all existing home automation protocols and integrate with iOS devices seamlessly.
That may be true, but I think the issue is less about the diversification of revenue than the fact that product sales typically follow the s-curve of adoption. The flat part at the top of the curve represents a mature product with little or no growth. Apple has always pushed revenue growth by introducing new products, as this is the only way to continually drive earnings.
I'm the only one who doesn't want his home/apartment connected to the Internet?
Not the only one, for sure. But I think you're in the minority.
Right now my thermostat, smoke detector, sprinkler system and some of my lights are already connected to the internet. More please...
And if Apple offers anything comparable to Nest thermostat and smoke detectors I will toss the Google stuff in about a half second.
Yep I agree with this. Still I think close to 60% of revenue being driven by one product is not a good thing. Apple is keeping Beats hardware and Ive's team is taking over design from the 3rd party consultancy Beats was working with. My guess is Apple is planning to do something in this space besides just milking the existing cash cow. And I don't think HealthKit and HomeKit were designed just for 3rd parties. Same with Metal. We will see the fruits of that labor in future Apple hardware I'm sure.
I don't think the APIs cost anything, but any revenue from the app store does. Any product you buy through Apple's online store makes money for Apple. Beyond that, just having a product out there that says it can be controlled with Apple products helps the Apple brand. Apple is trying to expand their ecosystem, the more products and services that can be routed through Apple, the more brand loyalty they'll have.
But doing that doesn't preclude Apple from doing their own hardware too. Apple makes most of its money from hardware sales. They're very good at designing and engineering hardware. No reason to cede all of home automation to 3rd parties.
I always wondered if 'down south' and 'up north' sayings are reversed in the southern hemisphere. I've been to New Zealand and Australia but never asked. I guess I'll have to make another trip as you can't trust answers you get on the internet... especially for questions as important as that one!
So far Nest under Google has been a fustercluck with all the recent problems. And Honeywell is closing in on them fast. I don't see any evidence to point that Apple lost anything by not buying Nest. Under HomeKit, Apple can make products while it also benefits from 3rd parties' innovations using the API, similar to how Apple makes iOS accessories, but also licenses out the Made for iPhone imprimatur.
Agreed, however if Apple can't do the hardware correctly, on say a security system, don't waste your time and put the additional effort into the software side. Either way, hoping HomeKit remains open and everyone supports so it's a win for all consumers.
Nest is overrated
I have Nest, and as a thermostat it is definitely one of the best looking and working ones out there as of yet, but Nest oversells itself as a "savior" of the environment and your money.
First, it is not really intelligent. Yes it does set up a schedule as you manually adjust it for the first few weeks, but then it NEVER changes your schedule, even if you do. Once the "learning" period is over, the schedule will be unchanged even after several weeks of manually adjusting it when I started working at a new job and I left and arrived at different times. Yes I can manually adjust it or put it back into learning mode, but that is not the point of a supposedly "smart" thermostat.
Also Nest once boasted of a feature to recognize and adjust to local weather conditions, this is false. Nest is no more aware of the local weather then you are, and too often I see people running their AC or heat when the temperature outside is actually cooler or hotter then the temperature they set it at. A "Smart" thermostat should just tell you to open your windows once in a while.
The "leafs" feature of Nest is dumb because there are several months a year where I don't need to heat or cool the home, I can just open the windows, but during these months when I have the Nest thermostat off, it doesn't report my usage as being "eco-friendly", even though I am using NO energy. Also during these months my Nest will run out of power because modern HVAC systems don't have a dedicated powered wired to the thermostat.
The remote capabilities of the nest are cool, but I have only used this feature a few times in the 2 years I have owned it. Coming home from a tropical vacation was nice to have the house toasty warm in the middle of winter as the plane parked at the arrival terminal, but rarely have I ever needed to adjust the temp remotely, or even look at the Nest status outside of being at home.
I am not saying that Apple will do something mediocre, but coming out with a "Smart" thermostat for the sake of competing with Nest is certainly not in Apple's best interests. However coming out with a thermostat which can actually save you money and the environment by knowing how to adjust itself based on current weather and ALWAYS observing your schedule and presence is the only way I would replace my Nest with something from Apple.
I have Nest, and as a thermostat it is definitely one of the best looking and working ones out there as of yet, but Nest oversells itself as a "savior" of the environment and your money.
First, it is not really intelligent. Yes it does set up a schedule as you manually adjust it for the first few weeks, but then it NEVER changes your schedule, even if you do. Once the "learning" period is over, the schedule will be unchanged even after several weeks of manually adjusting it when I started working at a new job and I left and arrived at different times. Yes I can manually adjust it or put it back into learning mode, but that is not the point of a supposedly "smart" thermostat.
Also Nest once boasted of a feature to recognize and adjust to local weather conditions, this is false. Nest is no more aware of the local weather then you are, and too often I see people running their AC or heat when the temperature outside is actually cooler or hotter then the temperature they set it at. A "Smart" thermostat should just tell you to open your windows once in a while.
The "leafs" feature of Nest is dumb because there are several months a year where I don't need to heat or cool the home, I can just open the windows, but during these months when I have the Nest thermostat off, it doesn't report my usage as being "eco-friendly", even though I am using NO energy. Also during these months my Nest will run out of power because modern HVAC systems don't have a dedicated powered wired to the thermostat.
The remote capabilities of the nest are cool, but I have only used this feature a few times in the 2 years I have owned it. Coming home from a tropical vacation was nice to have the house toasty warm in the middle of winter as the plane parked at the arrival terminal, but rarely have I ever needed to adjust the temp remotely, or even look at the Nest status outside of being at home.
I am not saying that Apple will do something mediocre, but coming out with a "Smart" thermostat for the sake of competing with Nest is certainly not in Apple's best interests. However coming out with a thermostat which can actually save you money and the environment by knowing how to adjust itself based on current weather and ALWAYS observing your schedule and presence is the only way I would replace my Nest with something from Apple.
I've got a bunch of "magical" stuff in my basement but I fully expect to be accused of lack of innovation until I actually release something to the public. History doesn't count anymore, it's all about what have you done for me lately... Didn't you get the memo?
Of all the Mac Rumors out there now, this one interests me the most. I don't wear watches and CarPlay is DOA for me if it uses Apple Maps.
Apple smart home products. Mmmmm...
I'm the only one who doesn't want his home/apartment connected to the Internet?
If you were reasonably sure it would not be spied on by Google would that make it better? I was planning to get a Nest until I heard Google bought them. I have two drop cams and cancelled the DVR function the day I heard they were bought by Google.
Let's hope home HomeKit has some requirements for security and privacy. Otherwise, I'm with you. I'm happy to be a low tech abode. I mean, it worked for Battlestar Galactica right?